A travel influencer’s viral claim that buying airline tickets at airport ticket counters can produce significant savings has renewed discussion about whether in-person purchases are a viable way to avoid online booking fees — but experts and other travelers say the strategy works only in certain situations.
Kristin, a Tampa-based travel creator who posts on TikTok as @tripswithkris, told her 1.4 million followers she paid $227 for two round-trip Frontier Airlines tickets to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport after visiting her local airport’s ticket counter. She said those same seats had been listed online for $320, a $93 difference that did not account for the cost of driving to the airport, parking, tolls or other expenses.
The clip, shared as the holiday travel season approaches, prompted both praise and criticism. Some social-media users described similar last-minute bargains, including one commenter who said they often buy same-day tickets from airport counters for as little as $30. Others said they had tried the approach and wound up paying more than online fares.
Travel experts say both outcomes are plausible because the savings depend heavily on which carrier is involved and how that carrier structures fees. Jesse Neugarten, founder of budget resource Dollar Fight Club, said ticket prices can indeed be cheaper in person when dealing with ultra-low-cost carriers such as Spirit, Frontier, Breeze and Allegiant. Those airlines often advertise low base fares online but tack on extra fees during the digital-booking process for services such as payment processing or platform use, he said.
In some cases, those additional line-item fees do not appear when a customer purchases a ticket at the airport counter, reducing the final price compared with online checkout. "These online fees help airlines cover the costs of their booking platforms and keep their ticket prices looking low to attract buyers," Neugarten said. "It’s not something they promote, but it’s there if you know about it."
But travel-industry observers caution that the in-person approach is not universally advantageous. Airline pricing is dynamic; fares change by route, time, demand and remaining seat inventory. For travelers who live far from an airport, the cost of driving, parking and the time investment may outweigh any ticket savings. Additionally, full-service carriers and many travel-aggregator sites do not impose the same online service charges that some ultra-low-cost carriers do, limiting potential gains from an airport visit.
The practice of buying in person also tends to favor passengers seeking flexibility or last-minute travel, observers noted. Social-media commenters who reported large savings often described walks to the airport for seats on flights departing within hours. Other passengers who attempted to buy tickets in person for planned travel dates reported seeing higher counter prices or no difference at all.
Airlines generally do not advertise lower counter-only fares, and policies vary by company. Some carriers may impose identical prices across purchase channels, while others maintain distinct fare structures that can produce occasional counter discounts. Travel advisors recommend checking total out-the-door prices across multiple booking methods and factoring in the nonflight costs of reaching an airport.
As holiday travel demand grows and consumers hunt for ways to reduce costs, the ticket-counter tactic remains one of several price-avoidance strategies travelers use. It can produce measurable savings in some circumstances, particularly with certain low-cost carriers and last-minute departures, but it is not a guaranteed money-saver for every traveler.
Travelers weighing the approach should compare final prices — including fees, taxes and the cost of getting to the airport — before deciding whether an airport visit is worth the time and expense. Reports from both sides of the debate underscore that the outcome hinges on carrier policies, timing and individual circumstances.